Golf Beneath The Surface

Raymond Prior and Chase Cooper kick off 2026 with a wide-ranging conversation with John Scott Rattan, coach at Congressional Country Club and a full-time presence in the world of elite competitive golf.

John Scott breaks down what coaching Tour players actually looks like—travel, remote support, building a weekly “blueprint,” and why the goal is to eliminate anything new once the tournament starts. They get into the real separators at that level: how players handle adversity, how coaches ask better questions, and why confidence beats correctness when it’s time to compete.

The episode also goes beyond mechanics into the parts most people don’t talk about: permission to give unfiltered feedback, the coach-player relationship, why players change coaches, and how social media can help—or quietly hurt—performance. From concept vs swing thought, to in-event adjustments, to the myths that won’t die in golf instruction, this one is equal parts Tour coaching reality and high-level coaching philosophy.

You can find John Scott Rattan at Congressional Country Club in the Washington, DC area, at JSRgolf.com, and on Instagram @jsr_golf.

In this episode of the Golf Beneath the Surface podcast, Raymond Prior and Chase Cooper reflect on the past year and the topics that resonated most with listeners.

They break down confidence in golf, why it’s often tied to outcomes, how trying too hard creates anxiety, and the common mistakes players at every level make with practice, ego, and trust. The conversation touches on unmeasurable skills, adaptability under pressure, hypnosis as a tool for regulating anxiety, and the subtle mental habits that separate consistent players from streaky ones. Enjoy!

**Apologies for previous technical difficulties  should be good now… Blame Chase!! 😂**

In this episode, we’re joined by Gabby Herzig of The Athletic for a deeper look at the part of professional golf most people never think about — how the stories of the game actually get made. We talk through what real golf journalism looks like today, the difference between reporting and content, and how players manage the growing tension between access, image, and truth.

Gabby explains how the landscape has shifted with fan accounts, rumor cycles, and YouTube golf suddenly shaping public opinion faster than traditional media can keep up. We also explore Bryson’s reinvention, the widening gap inside the PGA Tour, and why the future of men’s and women’s golf may depend on who controls the narrative.

Toward the end of the conversation, we dive into her Masters feature on “scar tissue” — how past failures and unresolved experiences show up for elite players in the present, why anxiety is more common than people realize, and what it really means when a golfer carries their history onto a tee box like 12 at Augusta.

It’s a grounded, honest look at the forces shaping modern golf, the psychology underneath the biggest moments, and the human side of a game that often gets covered only at the surface level.

You can follow Gabby on Instagram and Twitter at @gabbyherzig, and find all her work at The Athletic.

In this episode, we’re joined by Gabby Herzig of The Athletic for a deeper look at the part of professional golf most people never think about — how the stories of the game actually get made. We talk through what real golf journalism looks like today, the difference between reporting and content, and how players manage the growing tension between access, image, and truth.

Gabby explains how the landscape has shifted with fan accounts, rumor cycles, and YouTube golf suddenly shaping public opinion faster than traditional media can keep up. We also explore Bryson’s reinvention, the widening gap inside the PGA Tour, and why the future of men’s and women’s golf may depend on who controls the narrative.

Toward the end of the conversation, we dive into her Masters feature on “scar tissue” — how past failures and unresolved experiences show up for elite players in the present, why anxiety is more common than people realize, and what it really means when a golfer carries their history onto a tee box like 12 at Augusta.

It’s a grounded, honest look at the forces shaping modern golf, the psychology underneath the biggest moments, and the human side of a game that often gets covered only at the surface level.

You can follow Gabby on Instagram and Twitter at @gabbyherzig, and find all her work at The Athletic.

In this episode, we’re joined by Gabby Herzig of The Athletic for a deeper look at the part of professional golf most people never think about — how the stories of the game actually get made. We talk through what real golf journalism looks like today, the difference between reporting and content, and how players manage the growing tension between access, image, and truth.

Gabby explains how the landscape has shifted with fan accounts, rumor cycles, and YouTube golf suddenly shaping public opinion faster than traditional media can keep up. We also explore Bryson’s reinvention, the widening gap inside the PGA Tour, and why the future of men’s and women’s golf may depend on who controls the narrative.

Toward the end of the conversation, we dive into her Masters feature on “scar tissue” — how past failures and unresolved experiences show up for elite players in the present, why anxiety is more common than people realize, and what it really means when a golfer carries their history onto a tee box like 12 at Augusta.

It’s a grounded, honest look at the forces shaping modern golf, the psychology underneath the biggest moments, and the human side of a game that often gets covered only at the surface level.

You can follow Gabby on Instagram and Twitter at @gabbyherzig, and find all her work at The Athletic.

In this episode, Raymond and Chase sit down with longtime friend and renowned coach John Dunigan to talk about what real skill development looks like—and why most golfers spend their time on the wrong things. John breaks down the difference between improving a motion and improving a skill, why perfection and “consistency” often hold players back, and how tools like external focus, exaggeration, and the Goldilocks principle help golfers learn faster.

They also dig into why low point, face-to-path, and predictable curve matter far more than picture-perfect mechanics, how to blend block and random practice the right way, and why practice should mirror the shots you actually face on the course—not just what feels good on the range.

John also shares his work with the Skilled Coaching Alliance, where coaches learn to apply motor learning science in real lessons, and the Practice Coach app, which builds structured, disciplined training sessions that help players get better where it counts.

You can try the Practice Coach app on the iOS App Store for a discounted rate using the code: CCGOLF

To learn more about the Skilled Coaching Alliance, visit: https://www.skilledcoachingalliance.com/

In this episode, Raymond and Chase sit down with Dr. Will Wu, professor at Long Beach State and one of the leading experts in motor control and learning, to talk about how to design practice that actually transfers to performance.

They dig into the difference between motor learning and motor control, why block practice feels great but rarely holds up in tournaments, and how contextual interference and practice variability help players build adaptable, tournament-ready skills.

Will also shares how he’s bringing this research to life through two powerful tools: the Skilled Coaching Alliance, a program that helps coaches learn and apply the science of motor learning to their teaching, and the Practice Coach app, which builds personalized, data-driven practice sessions designed to accelerate improvement.

If you’ve ever wondered why your range game doesn’t show up on the course, this episode will change how you think about practice.

You can try the Practice Coach app on the IOS AppStore for a discounted rate by using the code: CCGOLF  

To learn more about the Skilled Coaching Alliance, visit: https://www.skilledcoachingalliance.com/

Why can you stripe it on the range but not when it matters? In this episode, we unpack the gap between practice and performance—and what it really takes to transfer skills from a controlled setting to the course. From Scott Fawcett’s DECADE framework to blackjack analogies, we dig into decision-making, judgment, and why context always matters.

We explore how conservative swings under pressure can backfire, why warmups aren’t fortune tellers, and the training principles—spacing, randomizing, experimenting with extremes—that create freedom when it counts. If you’ve ever walked off the range feeling ready, only to tighten up on the first tee, this one’s for you.

We’re back.......

In episode 44 of The Golf Beneath the Surface Podcast we started off by answering questions on the difference between freedom and perfection. We unpack Scottie Scheffler’s “decoupling” of identity from golf, the arrival fallacy, and how intrinsic motivation fuels consistency. We cover journaling that actually changes behavior, the four core needs kids have in sports, and why chasing “perfect” mechanics kills freedom on the course. Plus: simple grip fixes, what great caddies look for (fast return to baseline), and the best advice we’ve ever gotten. Enjoy! 

You asked and we answered. 

In this Q and A, the boys explore topics such as: letting go vs. trying too hard, what it takes to reset after anger, and why out-of-position swings demand more athleticism—not less.

We also dig into what college coaches should look for when recruiting players, how parents can create more resilient kids, and why multitasking only works in non-judgmental spaces.

A wide-ranging conversation on performance, presence, and the risks we have to take to play freely. Enjoy’